toilet truble

[news-text.dsl.pipex.com]

I've got an old toilet which I have been trying to ignore failing as I plan to redecorate the bathroom and replace the entire suite at that time, how ever it has been giving lots of problems flushing often taking 10-15 attempts. So can wait no longer, replacing the toilet is not an option because that would mean replacing the tiles around the toilet which I can't get any more, in fact I cant even get that shape any more, So I guess I need to fix the toilet.

Looking in the water reservoir I can see a back bowl shaped object I guess about 6 inches in diameter. The base of the plunger is exiting at this point and the toilet handle is attached to that

On the right hand side of the plunger container there is a U shaped pipe with a flattish top. The other end of this pipe is connected to the bottom part of the reservoir where an approximately 1 foot pipe connects to the back of the actual toilet. My question is can I still get new siphon. There is one on Screw fix looks something like it

Is it lightly to fit? both pipe sizes and physically in the reservoir changes and I'm stuffed?

Also I have quite a big water reservoir compared to modern toilets will a modern siphon still work as well as mine did originally? Or will the water through put be limited.

Lastly when I replace the siphon am I lightly to need any other pieces such as a WC Pan Connector Straight

Thanks

[Jonathan Pearson]

SNIP

Problems of this nature can be caused because their isn't enough head above the siphon system - how far is the water level from the overflow pipe in the cistern - if its more than a few inches then try adjusting the ballcock Jon

[Andrew Mawson]

time, how

10-15

option

guess I need

siphon. There

reservoir

pieces such

There is usually a polythene diaphragm that forms the seal for the piston that starts the syphon off, and after a while it wears away. If you turn off the water, do a sucessful flush to empty the tank, and remove the gubbins all will be revealed. My local (rather good) plumbers merchant stock them and they cost (last time I bought one) the princely sum of ten pence ! As I remember there are two sizes & shapes but it is only very thin polythene sheet so at a pinch you could cut one out with a craft knife.

AWEM

[news-text.dsl.pipex.com]

Its about 1/2 inch away form the overflow pipe, in fact its touching the rubber seal round the overflow pipe. When I raised the water to this height it appeared to work better for a while , and every so often it will flush really well. How ever some times even through the Cistern is full of water pulling on the hardly it feels like there is nothing there. Then a few attempts later it will suddenly flush. But a lot of the time it seems to start to flush then just dies out with out becoming a full flush

[Andrew Gabriel]

If it's an old loo, it might be a rubber diaphragm. These can perish after a long time, and either bits break off, or it stops bending out of the way when the flush starts off and throttles it.

Another possibility is an air leak into the syphon. It could have broken somewhere, or the plunger hole might have worn too large (although modern ones capture water around it to maintain the air-tight seal).

If it had never worked right, I might also suggest that the cistern and pan had a mismatched capacity, e.g. a 6 litre cistern trying to flush a 10 litre pan. However, given it did work at one point, this can probably be ruled out.